Angela and The Summer of Ten-Thousand Mothers

This is my friend, Angela. Angela befriended me when I moved from Minnesota to Southern Ohio in the middle of my freshman year of high school. She translated for me when I couldn't understand my Kentucky-born-and-bred algebra teacher, Mr. Bivens. {He kept referring to "lackderms", which I just couldn't figure out until I was told these were "like terms"...} We were in youth group together, and grew in the Lord together, and despaired together as many from our youth group fell away from the Lord during college. We skipped classes together, were in honor society together, and enjoyed one another's company always. After we headed in different directions for college, we would exchange notes or calls from time to time, or see each other every few years. We never lost total track of each other, but we didn't keep in close contact either.

Then, in 1992, Dave had a recurrence of his melanoma. We had been fighting his cancer for about 6 or 7 years at that point, and Ben and Tim were 7 and 8 years old. After the surgeon sent us home to make Dave comfortable until he died (likely within 6 months), our oncologist sent us to M. D. Anderson in Houston. Dave entered an experimental treatment there. And we all packed into our car and drove to a huge, distant city, and tried to figure out how to cope. Dave needed an adult in hospital with him 24/7, and I couldn't be both with him and with my children. My siblings came, one at a time, to help with the kids, help move to an apartment, etc. One would come for a week, then leave when the next arrived. People from local Houston churches helped out, and entertained and cared for our boys. Many sweet and loving family members and friends became mothers for short periods of time to the boys. Then, Angela called me. She had been praying about it, and was currently unemployed and staying with her folks. She would come. And she would stay. She would become mother to our children, and not leave us until we were home and settled. And what a blessing she was!

Angela kept the boys at the apartment provided by Catholic Charities for Anderson patients (and bravely battled the cockroaches!) She would bring the boys for a visit each day, along with with clean laundry for Dave and me, and take the dirty laundry home with the kids in the evening. When we were able to be home, she laughed and cried with me, and never flinched over our circumstances. And in-between times she helped and ministered to the family in the next apartment. At one point I was explaining to her that I just couldn't get involved with the family next door: I was already spread too thin emotionally, and I just couldn't do it. I'll never forget her answer: "I don't think Scripture says anywhere that we can stay away because it's painful." She was right, and she was living proof of it. She got up with Ben when he had nightmares, and distracted the boys when life was frightening, and took turns with me going into the bathroom and turning on the shower so the boys would not hear us crying. She was, as Scripture says, a friend who was closer than a brother.

Angela and I began calling the summer of 1992 "The Summer of Ten-Thousand Mothers", because we figured one day Ben would write a book about his childhood suffering, and it would make a great title. And then, the following year, Angela's dear father was diagnosed with advanced melanoma, and she providentially headed back to Houston with her parents, already knowing the churches and the hospital and the city. And after living our success story, she lived the tragic story of her dad's death.

And Angela helped Dave's mother move out to live with us after Dave's dad died.

And Angela came to the college graduations of both of our boys.

And Angela came to the wedding.

Angela always comes when you need her.

And now Angela works meeting needs at City Gospel Mission in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Thank you, Ang, for being such a blessing in our lives!